Edwin j



(No Model.)

E. J. FLETCHER.

SHELF SUPPORT. v No. 538,958. r Patented May 7, 1895.

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eifzm MZMMW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN J. FLETCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHELF-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 538,958, dated May 7, 1895.

7 Application filed June 17, 1893. Serial No. 477,975. (No model.) a

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. FLETCHER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Shelf-Support, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in shelf supports, and particularly to supports which are adapted to carry shelves in fancy show cases and in places where itis desirable to place goods where they may be advantageously displayed and arranged in acompact manner." The use of my improved shelf sup-v port and shelving is not, however, restricted to show cases or to the places indicated.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a plurality of shelves arranged at different angles and mounted on myimproved supports. Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of the form of extensible masking strips used to cover the grooves in which the bracket is held.

The shelf support comprises a bracket 10 which is adapted to carry ashelf or a portion thereof, and my invention also,includes and relates more particularly to the manner in which the bracket is arranged with relation to the shelf and the supporting wall. The bracket is substantially like an ordinary angle bracket, except that it is provided with two horns 11 instead of one, which project in opposite directions and are adapted to lie flat against a supporting wall. Projecting outward from-the base or back portion of the bracket is an arm 12 which may extend-either horizontally or at an angle, according as to whether the shelves to be supported are to lie in a horizontal position or in a sloping one. The bracket may be supported on the wall by means of screws 13, as illustrated, or

any ordinary attachment may be used for fastening the bracket in place. The several brackets which are used to support a shelf, or a series of shelves, are arranged in grooves 14 which are made deep enough to permit the horns 11 to lie within them and to be covered by the masking strips.

In some places it is desirable to have the "shelves adjustable vertically, and in such cases the brackets which support them are usually attached by means of fastening devices, which permit of the ready adjustment of the brackets. Any such devices may be used for fastening my brackets in place, and in connection with such brackets extensible masking strips are used, which may be secured either to the brackets or to the shelves and which are arranged as shown, the masking strips 21 overlapping each other and lying in the outer portions of the groove 14. It will be seen that when the two brackets or shelves connected with these strips are pushed toward or away from each other, the strips will slide one upon the other, and the groove will at all times be concealed. These strips may be made of sheet metal, celluloid, or any thin material having the necessary rigidity, and to improve the finish, they may be made half round or fixed up in any desired design.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination with the vertically grooved supporting wall, of the adjustable angle bracket having horns located and adjustable in the groove of said Wall, the said groove having side grooves, and the extensible overlapping independently-movable masking strips arranged to slide in said side grooves and over the horns of the bracket to cover the same as they are adjusted, substantially as shown and described.

EDWIN J. FLETCHER. Witnesses:

F. W. HANAFORD, EDGAR TATE. 

